Southeast Asian leaders to meet as Trump visit highlights trade disruption
Summary
ASEAN leaders are meeting in Manila from Sunday through Tuesday as US President Donald Trump travels to the Asia-Pacific region. Trade is expected to feature prominently, as new US tariffs and possible additional trade measures raise concerns for Southeast Asian economies.Key Facts
- Trump is scheduled to meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in Manila on Tuesday.
- Trump is scheduled to attend the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, and meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- The White House has confirmed plans for trilateral talks involving Trump, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- The US announced tariffs of 10 to 12.5 percent on 60 trade partners, citing alleged failures to curb forced labour.
- US imports from ASEAN rose more than 29 percent to $453.6 billion in 2025, while the US trade deficit with the bloc reached $327.4 billion.
- ASEAN leaders are expected to discuss the Digital Economy Framework Agreement, which aims to ease cross-border data transfers and electronic payments.
- The agreement was initiated in 2023 and is intended to support an ASEAN digital economy valued at $2 trillion by 2030.
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